Full Signal At 95th To Help Glades Traffic

March 15, 1992|By FRED LOWERY, Staff Writer

The potential for plugged-up traffic on Glades Road between Lyons Road and U.S. 441 west of Boca Raton appears to be easing considerably with a decision by Florida Department of Transportation engineers on the placement of traffic signals.

What had been planned as a flashing signal at 95th Avenue in front of the county library is being upgraded, and will be installed as a full signal, said

Walt Lashley of the DOT`s traffic office in Palm Beach County.

That will set up a comprehensive signal system on Glades between 441 and Lyons, he said, by including the signal at the Glades entrance to the new shopping center at Glades and 441.

``The spacing is going to be good, it will help more than just those two side streets,`` Lashley said. ``The signal at 95th is halfway between 441 and Lyons, and the signal at the shopping center is halfway between Glades and 95th.``

When the signals go in later this year, he said, they will provide the gaps in traffic that will enable drivers from developments along Glades to get onto it through the gaps in traffic the signals will create.

Without those changes, said Ted Abrams of the Winding Lakes area west of Boca Raton, monumental traffic congestion problems would be in store for the western section of Glades Road, given the development that is taking place.

``The westbound traffic on Glades Road is so bad now, what will happen when that new mall is open (at Glades and 441) with Home Depot, Publix, Red Lobster, etc., and the usual empty stores?`` he asked.

``The Shadowood Mall and the public library a block away (already) are having problems with cars leaving to get on Glades Road,`` he said.

The signal at the shopping center will be paid for by developers, Lashley said, and will be put in by the time the shopping center is ready to open.

YAMATO HO!

One of the most frequently asked questions among residents in the area west of Boca Raton is ``When is Yamato Road going to open?``

The answer to that oft-asked question has, in recent months, depended on who you asked. The official complation date had been sometime in May, but it was no secret construction crews were humming along ahead of schedule, both on the bridge over Florida`s Turnpike and the road between Powerline Road and U.S. 441.

Yes, they have been working quickly, said Palm Beach County Construction Coordinator Carl Miller. The scheduled completion date is now April 11.

There is still a concrete wall to be poured on the bridge, the pedestrian enclosure across the bridge and some other detail work left to do, he said, but the beginning of the end started Wednesday when paving crews started applying the final layer of asphalt to the new road.

SURVIVE I-95

The nighttime closings of the inside southbound lane of Interstate 95 between Linton Boulevard and Yamato Road will continue through March 27, said Barbara Sarff of the DOT`s Fort Lauderdale district office.

Construction crews will need the lane to continue to install temporary barrier walls along the median in the new I-95 expansion area, Sarff said.

The closings will take place between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. every night except Saturdays, she said.

The barrier walls are designed to prevent traffic from straying into the median while construction takes place, and to protect workers in the median from traffic.

The major feature of this latest expansion project will be the construction of two new lanes designed for the exclusive use of car- and van-pooling during morning and afternoon rush hours, new breakdown lanes and a permanent concrete barrier wall and glare screens.

Work should be completed by September 1993.

TOUCH AND GO

Tiptoe-style driving is still in order for North Federal Highway in Boca Raton where medians are being torn out and new left-turn lanes installed.

For most of the daytime, traffic in both directions is being restricted to a single lane between Glades Road and 20th Street, and traffic backs up regularly.

Drivers who want to avoid the area should consider using Dixie Highway for the next few weeks.

AIRPORT DELAY

South county drivers returning from Palm Beach International Airport via Congress Avenue should expect daytime delays on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Sarff said.

Each day between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., workers will be working in one or more of seven locations on the southbound side between Southern Boulevard and Lake Worth Road, making pavement repairs.

Only one lane will be closed at a time, Sarff said, although it might not always be the same one.

-- Traffic Watch is a regular feature of the Sun-Sentinel. If you have a problem in the area where you drive, or know a good shortcut, write: Traffic Watch, Sun-Sentinel; 3333 S. Congress Ave.; Delray Beach, Fla. 33445, or call the Sun-Sentinel Traffic Line. Dial 243-6543 in southern Palm Beach County. We are sorry, but because of the volume of questions we sometimes receive, we cannot always guarantee a personal reply.